Van Gaal poised for United job

Louis Van Gaal is set to be confirmed as Manchester Uniteds manager and will bring his Dutch backroom staff with him to Old Trafford. Photo by: Bas Czerwinski

Louis Van Gaal is set to be confirmed as Manchester United’s manager on Wednesday and will bring his extensive Dutch backroom staff with him to Old Trafford.

The 62-year-old will be joined at United by former Holland striker Patrick Kluivert, goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek, fitness coach Jos van Dijk and analyst Max Reekers.

However, their arrival means the club’s famous Class of 92 face uncertain futures.The roles for interim manager Ryan Giggs and coaches Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville are up in the air, and they may be forced to take on junior roles or — in the worst-case scenario — move on altogether.

It is expected that Van Gaal’s appointment will be announced after United have played their final home game of the season against Hull on Tuesday night.Giggs has helped provide stability in the 10 days since David Moyes’s sacking; he has impressed with how he has handled the role of caretaker manager and thrived with the responsibility but it is unclear how he will fit into the Van Gaal set-up.

Butt would be expected to move back to his role in charge of United’s Under 18s yet less certain is what lies in store for Scholes, who is not on a contract, and Neville, who was brought back to Old Trafford by Moyes last summer.Of the quartet, Neville is arguably the most vulnerable.

Goalkeeping coach Chris Woods could also go given Van Gaal’s preference to work with Hoek.Though Van Gaal is very much his own man when making decisions, he is also someone who pays attention to club history, which suggests he would be willing to work closely with Giggs or Butt.

Danny Blind, another Van Gaal ally, will not be making the move to Manchester as he is set to continue with Holland after signing a new contract with the Dutch football federation.Meanwhile, United fear Wayne Rooney has suffered another injury setback after the striker limped out of training yesterday and was sent for a scan.

It is unclear if the problem is connected with the injury he suffered in the Champions League match against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford a month ago when he chipped a bone in his foot and required a painkilling injection to play.

United will assess the 28-year-old’s condition today before deciding if he can face Sunderland at home tomorrow.However, with United having little left to play for in their remaining three games, they are unlikely to risk Rooney if there is any doubt about his fitness.The England striker will also be reluctant to take any chances with the World Cup looming after going into the last two tournaments under an injury cloud. – Daily Mail